Thinking of You
by Dr. ET
Summary: A simple thought makes Bolt realize something about Mittens, something Mittens already felt and something they are both about to experience. My 10th fic.
1. Play Dead

"Really?" A certain white dog cocked his head to the left.

"Really. I'm not sure why though, people just love asking dogs to that." Answered the cat next to him.

The dog, Bolt, looked slightly confused at Mittens, the cat.

"Well, this is probably the best I can do…" Bolt began stepping forward in small paces and suddenly he slipped on the welcome mat and fell flat on his face.

Mittens laughed. "Okay, that was real funny, Bolt." She moved closer. "Now, get up a try again."

Bolt didn't respond.

"Bolt?" she walked closer again.

Nothing.

"Bolt?" there was a little panic in her voice. "Bolt?..." tears started welling up in her eyes.

"HAH! Fooled you!" Bolt suddenly jolted up and made Mittens jump back.

The cat's racing heartbeat began slowing down. The water in her eyes stopped spilling. "You!" she tackled Bolt, laughing.

They began chasing each other around.

"Wow, I actually fell for that one." Mittens spoke to herself.

The running around stopped.

"Okay then, Lesson 'Play Dead' is complete." Mittens announced. "Let's continue tomorrow." She said. "It's getting kind of late."

"Sure. Good night, Mittens." Bolt turned around and went his way in. They were out of the door step.

Mittens sighed. She felt her chest. It was normal now, but when she saw Bolt like that, it was way faster.

Looking at the moon, Mittens smiled and began walking in, looking forward to a good night's sleep.


	2. Thank you Good night Love you

In Penny's room, on her bed, lay a girl hugging her cat (on her left) and her (on her right) securely.

Their breathing was the only thing heard in the air.

Although it seemed that everyone there was asleep, Bolt had his eyes closed but his mind wind open.

"Mittens…" he whispered.

If he had dropped her off that bridge on the highway then he would've never gotten back home. She was innocent (sort of) and had no intention of hurting anyone.

"If I had dropped Mittens…" Bolt shook that thought away.

Shifting to the side, Bolt snuggled into Penny. He wanted to think of something else, but all he could think of at that time was how he had treated Mittens badly, now she was continuing to help him be a real dog.

Bolt tightened his shut eyes.

It felt warmer in Penny's hug, but he still felt weird…

"Oh…what's wrong with me tonight?" he ranted.

"Bolt?" a voice asked.

Bolt moved his eyes up and saw a black figure looking from across Penny. Mittens.

"You still up?" she asked.

Bolt hesitated to answer. "Um, yeah. But I'm really sleepy." He finally said.

"Oh." She replied. "Me too."

There was an awkward silence after this.

"Okay, good night Bolt." Mittens said and turned around to go to sleep.

"Good night, Mittens." Bolt said back.

Mittens quickly drifted back into sleep.

"Good night and thank you…" Bolt said, hoping Mittens wouldn't hear.

She didn't.

Bolt lightened up on the inside. That's probably what he really wanted to do.

He made one final snuggle into Penny before getting pulled into sleep as well.

"Good night, Mittens…love you…"


	3. Swallowing the Truth

"WOOHOO!!" a brown hamster jumped off the remote and onto the couch. "It's finally here! WOO!!" Rhino did a semi-somersault in his hamsterball before staring back at the TV.

Suddenly, Mittens padded by the living room. She saw nothing out-of-the ordinary there.

Except the absence of Bolt anywhere at all.

She looked at the TV addicted hamster. "Hey Rhino, you've seen Bolt?"

Rhino didn't move his eyes from the screen. "Uh, he went outside. Now quiet! Silence and concentration is needed, the new season of Superspies is beginning! Hehehe!!!"

Mittens was really weirded out by that, but she thanked him and went outside.

Taking simple steps out the porch, Mittens looked from side to side. Still no sign of her supposed doggie-companion.

"Bolt?" she began quietly. Three more steps forward.

Mittens' ears twitched. Something moved in the corner.

Facing the noise which was in the bushes, Mittens bravely moved forward.

She knew that in horror movies, the innocent female who becomes too daring is the one who dies first; but she knew better than to believe in horror movies.

In the middle of her thought, a pigeon flew out from the bushes and the shaking in the bushes stopped. Probably explained enough.

Sighing, she turned around and went on her way to the back of the house- and was absolutely moved by what she saw.

There was Bolt, as heroic as he is, getting a kid's kite from out of a tree.

With one grunt of effort, Bolt jumped from the top of the tree to the side and onto the ground where a little boy was, smiling at him.

"Thanks, doggie!" he boy said cutely, patting Bolt on the head.

Bolt barked in reply, unmouthing the kite and letting the boy run off again.

Four reverse steps later, Bolt sighs, and when turning around, sees Mittens.

"Wow, Bolt." Mittens began immediately. "You…you helped a stranger like that?"

Bolt chuckled. "Hey, I came back for you didn't I?" he said, referring to when they were caught by animal control.

Mittens couldn't help but smiled at him.

"I guess heroism is in my blood." Bolt ended.

"And climbing up a tree?" Mittens inquired.

"Well (dog) years of filmwork doesn't easily go to waste."

There was an awkward pause after this.

Bolt cleared his throat. "So, what's today's lesson?"

"Um…well, it's chasing cats." Mittens tried to hide her excitement.

Bolt though, was a bit brought back by this statement. "What?"

"Chasing cats- most dogs do it as a form of recreation or something."

"Really? Why?" Bolt leaned forward.

Mittens had felt something, it was probably the feeling you get when you make a big mistake.

Swallowing the truth, Mittens had just realized something that Bolt would've, if she had told him.

Cats and dogs are born, mortal enemies.


	4. Despise for Cats

Note: I don't any of the lines from the movie; that all belongs to the screenplay writer.

A vivid flashback ran through Bolt's mind. Each memory stung like a slap in the face.

…

Bolt had his head rested on his two furry paws.

Looking disdainfully at the trailer walls, he thought only of his dearest Penny, who could be into grave danger now that she was away and he wasn't there with her.

He remembered her words before she left: "You're my good boy…"

Those words made him crisp his paw in anger. "Why didn't I stop her from going? I could've, I should've…"

Suddenly, he heard a deep-throated laughter from above.

"Hello, hairballs." Bolt said. He knew who it was already, looking up he saw two cats- one black and the other furry gray.

"You may have won today, Bolt. But in the end, we will get your little, Penny." The black cat said sinisterly.

"Not likely cat, for you have chosen to follow the path of evil. Ultimately we will destroy you, along with your fiendish puppet master!" Bolt replied.

He heard the two fiendish felines whisper something inaudible to him, before the all-black cat said: "She's a goner, dog. The green-eyes man has a plan. And soon, he will execute it."

The furry gray one butted in saying: "Yeah! Then he will execute her!"

"Nice." The other cat commented.

And the following eight lines are said by Bolt and the black cat in an alternating pattern.

"I would superbark you both back to the hole you crawled out of. But I need you alive. Because I have a little message for you to take back to your green-eyed man. You tell him, his old friend Bolt-"

"Is it long?"

"Is what long?"

"The message, is it- is it a long message? Because, I have a horrible memory."

"Okay, I'll make it brief-"

"Wait, why don't we do this. I'll remember the first half of the message, and I'll remember the second, and we can pass it on to the green-eyed man together." (He spoke to his cat companion).

"I don't care how the message is translated alright, just do it. You tell him that I will not sleep; I will not rest until my Penny is safe from his evil clutches! You tell the green-eyed man that if-"

"Woah, woah, woah… way to many words. First I was like 'what?' then I was like 'huh?' and then, I got a little bored; something about clutches? Anyway, I'll do my best ciao!"

The black cat turned around and left.

What the furry gray cat said something that confused Bolt. "By the way, huge fan. Love it, love you, gotta go- thank you."

Bolt's blood boiled.(No alliteration intended.)

"Get back here you, sick! Revolting! Loathsome, little pathetic, repulsive excuses for animals! Hey I'm talking to you! Hmph! Cats!" Bolt expressed is utter DESPISE FOR CATS.

Just thinking about them made him want to destroy something.

Making a few turns, Bolt rested back down on the floor.

"I'll never let them get you, Penny." He whispered.

…

*No offense to any cat-lovers. I like cats too. I just had to get my job done.


	5. Silently Right

*Note to those who read "Cars for Canines" and/or "Dogs, Stars and Alaska" it is in Crossovers.

Bolt swallowed hard as his flashback ended. He backed away from Mittens realizing the long-term fact that they are supposed to naturally hate each other.

His face was similar to the time Mittens told him that he's part of a TV show.

"Mittens, I…I…" Bolt sputtered.

Mittens tried to say something but all that came out was the choked whisper of some one-syllable word.

"I…I can't do this. I can't." Bolt explained.

"But, Bolt…" Mittens began.

"I'm sorry…" he said.

Enclosing all his thoughts Bolt stepped back.

At first his steps back were slow, but then he hastened and looked away from Mittens, running off somewhere.

Only the fainting padding of Bolt paws was left with Mittens to take to heart.

She didn't want to disagree. She didn't want to prove him wrong.

Because Bolt was right.

Mittens looked down in dismay. She sighed.

Walking away, the black cat still hung her head downward as a teardrop fell from her eyes.

"He didn't say anything yet and he's right."


	6. Two Impressions on Love

The midday sun shone down on the roof of Penny's house and it gently warmed Mittens, who was sitting on top.

She was taking a short lick bath, thinking of anything but Bolt.

Anything but that dog. That…wonderful, loveable, loyal…dog…

Immediately, Mittens snapped out of it, her heart beating too quick for normal. Why was that happening?

"Come on…" Mittens groaned. How did it end up this way?

How did it come to the point where the one she was living with had to be a sworn enemy?

Of course! How could she have missed it before?

Dogs chase cats.

Cats run from dogs.

They fight naturally.

They never get along.

Mittens dug her head into her paws. "Ooohh…why didn't I just get away when I had the chance? I knew that it wouldn't go well so-why didn't I go?"

The image of Bolt was pressed into her mind. An image that gave her two impressions.

It was a dog. The sworn rival of a cat like her. They push their weight around. They think that they are much greater…

Wait, was that REALLY what she was thinking?

No, no, no. Bolt wasn't like that.

He was trustworthy and loving and-

"There I go again." She moaned.

Maybe that's why she never noticed it before. Bolt was too loving to hate.

She sprawled on her back.

The way Bolt cared for her was strong enough to defy a rivalry between two differences.

That much was okay, but the thing she was worried about was…

Their love for each other…was it too much?


	7. Most Dogs

Bolt was in Penny's room, thinking twice, thrice, maybe four times as much as he usually does.

He was on his back, instead of on his belly, with his paws hanging freely in the air.

"We were just lucky that time…" he thought. "Just lucky…"

Bolt was referring to the time when he dragged Mittens into a dangerous situation which he thought was not dangerous at all.

The time he jumped out of that moving truck with Mittens strapped to him (and that was hilarious to all us viewers).

Of course that hurt her, a lot. But he could care less at that time, because she was his enemy and his enemies don't matter.

Bolt turned to one side.

"Mittens didn't matter? Or Mittens doesn't matter? Does Mittens matter?"

Now Bolt turned to one side again.

"Well, she's not my enemy anymore. So does she matter?"

Tensing, the dog closed his eyes.

"If she's not an enemy, she's a friend and friends matter."

Silence…

"…But this is NOT what a friend feels like. Friends are there when you need them they help comfort you in times of need. They make sure you don't feel lonely and…and…"

He was about to say, "Stay by your side all the time" but then he realized…that it was starting to go farther and farther from being a friend.

Maybe he was right to think that Mittens was more than a friend.

Mittens brought him home. He put him back into reality. A reality that gave him a better life.

But now it may have gone too far.

Quickly, Bolt bit himself (OW!!). "What are you thinking Bolt? You're not seriously-falling in love with a cat? Dogs are supposed to stay away from them. Most dogs even…" in the middle of his self-lecturing, Bolt finally listened to what he heard.

'Most dogs.'

"Do I really have to give in to this?" he asked, finally rolling on to his stomach.

He felt like he was in the midst of the two most dangerous genres to put together: romance and friendship.

Friends or lovers…

Perking his ears up and putting of his determined face, Bolt knew he had to make a choice. And it would probably be the biggest decision of his entire life.


	8. Gone

"Okay guys, stay here. We'll be back in a few." Penny assured her pets.

Rhino circled happily in reply while the other two pets showed no reaction to Penny.

Sighing, Penny said: "We'll only be gone a little while. 15 minutes tops, okay?"

The furry hamster (who seemed to be the only one paying any attention) squeaked in reply (something he hasn't actually tried before, but was starting to get used to).

Penny giggled. "Okay. See you later." She said, getting out of the car, with her mom following close behind.

"Come on, you guys! Let's watch something awesome." Rhino suggested, looking at the DVD'S in the car and turning on the Portable DVD player.

"Um, that sounds fun Rhino but…" Bolt began.

"…We're just not in the mood." Mittens ended, each word spoken almost angrily.

Digging through the DVD'S, Rhino didn't hear them. "What do you guys think about _WALL-E_? I hear it's really good."

"Rhino…" Bolt said.

"Ooh! What about _Finding Nemo_, or _Ratatouille_…"

"Rhino…" Bolt repeated.

But Rhino continued. "…or _Meet the Robinsons_- I think Adam West is in this one. What about Bo-"

"RHINO! SHUT UP!" Bolt yelled.

Seeing the anger in the dog's expression, Rhino hushed up and moved into the corner.

The few seconds after that were almost completely silent, except for the title sequence of _The Aristocats_ as Rhino stared meekly into the screen.

Mittens just sighed as she looked up at the empty night sky.

After the first dialogue of the movie, Rhino spoke up. "So that's how it's gonna be." He whispered grimly.

That statement caught both Mittens' and Bolt's attention. "What?" they asked in unison.

"That's how you're gonna treat me after being a little annoying?" he ranted.

"Rhino, we-" Mittens tried to explain.

"Stop it! I was only trying to cheer you up! But I see you don't appreciate me!"

"Rhino, we're sort of having a hard time right now." Bolt sped his talking.

"WE? Do you mean YOU and MITTENS? Fine! If apologies don't suffice for being irritating, maybe I shouldn't be here!" Rhino said, swinging the door open.

"How did he do that?" Mittens asked in a whisper.

Bolt shrugged in reply.

The disdainful hamster padded in his hamsterball out of the car and onto the sidewalk.

Urgently, Bolt and Mittens sped outside to Rhino, who had gotten a good distance away by now.

"Rhino! Wait! Wait up!" Bolt called.

He didn't seem to care.

"I had no idea how sensitive he was…" Mittens thought.

"Rhino!" Bolt said as they finally caught up with him.

"What?" he turned around in frustration.

"Listen. We aren't mad at you. We don't think you've done anything wrong."

"Or anything at all." Mittens whispered under Bolt's right ear.

"Not helping." Bolt whispered intensely.

"I'm leaving!" Rhino declared turning around a little bit.

"Hold up!" Mittens said.

"I've already had enough!" Rhino screamed, farther away.

As Rhino crossed the center of the street, Bolt and Mittens attempted to call him back once again.

"RHINO!" they called together.

But now he totally ignored them.

Then as more seconds ticked away, Rhino was still on the road when a car suddenly came.

Perking his ears up, Bolt screamed: "Rhino! Get out of the way!" and he ran for him.

"What?" Rhino curved and saw a car almost three feet in front of him and then suddenly found himself at the edge of the sidewalk with car stopped in near him.

Under the wheel though, was Bolt.

Realizing the collision, Mittens ran toward the crash scene.

Whispering in a tearful way, Rhino said: "Bolt?"

Mittens swallowed hard. "No…no, no, NO!!!"

A crowd of people started forming around them. Penny pushed her way through.

"Bolt…" Mittens sighed as she laid her head on the dog's chest. "No…"

He was gone.

Bolt was gone…


	9. Thinking of You

Outside the hospital room and a few meters away from the crying and pleading Penny and her mother, was Mittens and Rhino; who were grieving in advance for the possible death of Bolt.

Mittens had her head dug into her front paws, silent tears running down her whiskers.

Rhino was seated in his hamsterball, facing the opposite way.

As much as he wanted to apologize, Rhino knew that apologizing wouldn't reverse the damage he had done.

Nor would it replenish the souls he'd put in danger.

So for the first time in a long time, Rhino kept as quiet as a mouse.

The black cat to the right of Rhino was in the middle of overlapping memories and voices of her beloved Bolt, who was on the verge of death.

"Is this punishment for forbidden love?!" she thought. "Is this punishment for falling in love with a dog?!"

But as her heart swelled with love, hate, doubt, hope, despair and joy, Mittens realized: it's not a crime. It's not against the law to love someone if the love is true and sincere.

It's not evil, and it's not abnormal to love.

Love…we can keep loving without the hate…

"Mittens, I…" Rhino began.

Immediately after hearing those first few words, Mittens threw a hug onto the rodent.

"I forgive you, I forgive you." She whispered.

"I'm so sorry…this is my fault. If I-"

"Don't worry about it. This is also our- my fault you know." Mittens remarked.

Rhino looked down a little, feeling better inside.

Just then, a tearful Penny picked up her two pets and they all went into Bolt's Vet Hospital room.

Bolt sprawled on the bed, with a cast on his lower-right leg, had an oxygen mask on and was on dextrose. The meter by the side was showing Bolt's steady heartbeat.

As much as they all wanted to jump into the arms of the dog, Bolt was unconscious and obviously badly hurt.

Penny turned the light off as they just entered. She couldn't bear to see her beloved Bolt in pain.

Mittens and Rhino resumed their spot on the couch.

And Mittens drifted into sleep.


	10. Healing

Bolt…

Bolt…

Bolt…

Mittens continually muttered as the 5am sun rose and warmed her body from the air-conditioned room.

Then, feeling the small increase in the outer temperature of her body, Mittens yawned and opened her eyes.

As she licked her lips, Mittens noticed the surrounding of Bolt's hospital bed being a little more spacious, before concluding that most of the machinery has been taken out and Bolt must be on the final stages of convalescence.

Out of both curiosity and endearment, Mittens jumped off the couch and walked onto to Bolt's bed.

"Good thing everyone's asleep…" she thought.

Nudging the dog slightly, Mittens whispered: "Bolt…?"

Bolt inhaled as he slowly opened his two eyes. Moving his head to the right, he said: "Mittens? Is that you?"

With a tear in her eye, Mittens answered. "Yes, Bolt. Yes, it's me."

He smiled weakly and laughed just as weakly afterward. "That's great…just who I wanted to see before…before…"

Mittens' smiled faded slightly after that.

Taking another inhale, Bolt began by saying: "Mittens, I understand it now. We aren't supposed to hate each other. Cats and dogs don't hate each other. But we're just friends…and for years, it's never changed… just friends. But now, we've found out that going over that line feels…different…and that there may be some consequences…"

"Wh-what are you saying?" Mittens asked.

Sighing, Bolt showed another one of his weak smiles, but with a few tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Bolt…aren't you feeling better? Aren't you healing?" Mittens asked.

"How can I get better, when I've had the best?" he asked her as he held her hand.

"Bolt…" Mittens managed to mutter on the verge of more tears.

But she heard no response and just watched as her beloved Bolt closed his eyes, his paw lay on her arm, unmoving. His breathing had stopped and his face looked so at peace…

"Bolt…" she whispered and afterwards leaned down, her eyes showering with tears of sorrow.

He was gone again. Bolt was-

"GOTCHA!" he screamed, making Mittens fall of the bed.

But now, she was immediately crying tears of joy.

She had taught him well.

"Bolt!!!" she screamed pouncing back into his loving arms.

"I love you…" she declared without shame.

"And I love you…" he replied.

Looking up at him, she asked: "Wouldn't you rather be friends…with a cat?"

Pondering, Bolt grinned and said. "Nah."

"You don't care if you don't get any kids?"

"Hey, who needs kids when you've got Rhino?" Bolt commented.

"You know how much a handful he can be." Mittens laughed.

And for that one second, they looked into each others' eyes, and how in love they were indeed. Their noses met and they give each other a lick (kiss) on the face.

Penny, who slept on the other side of the room, suddenly opened her eyes and whispered: "Bolt?"

Realizing the fact that Bolt was alive and awake, Penny ran at marathon speed to Bolt hospital bed screaming: "BOLT!!!!"

This awoke Rhino and Penny's mother and there was a bit of clamoring from all the hugging and kissing and nudging.

But amidst all that, Bolt knew that there are bad things in life- we can't change that.

But we can do good things…without having to face the bad things.

Love…the infinite power that we can keep creating and making, as long as we think about that special someone, who you know, is always thinking of you.

THE END


End file.
